The Arts Council England’s National Lottery Project Grants is changing with effect from Monday 22 November 2022.
The Project Grants funding programme is open to all individual artists and community and cultural organisations. It supports arts, museums and libraries projects…and it’s all made possible thanks to funding from National Lottery players.
The Arts Council England (ACE) making some changes to the fund, so it can even better help achieve ACE’s vision that everyone across England has the opportunity to be creative, and has access to a range of high-quality cultural experiences.
Grants usually range from £1,000 to £100,000 and the fund is always open – so applications may be made at any time. However, the maximum award level will increase to £30,000 from Monday 22 November 2021.
What’s changing on 22 November 2021?
The refreshed National Lottery Project Grants will have a new guidance document and application form.
The new form will ask applicants to talk about how their work aligns with ACE’s Outcomes and Investment Principles so that it can better delivery its strategy, Let’s Create.
You can find full details and eligibility criteria in the guidance document, but the key changes are:
- From 22 November, applicants will be able to apply for up to £30,000 and get a decision within 8 weeks. This will help the Arts Council England to support more ambitious activity, more quickly.
- Improving support for individuals at the start of their career by targeting advice giving at people who might not have previously applied for funding from Arts Council England.
- Support for museums. More museums will be eligible to apply, including those who are non-Accredited. ACE will support them to unlock their collections and make them more relevant, inclusive and accessible.
- It’s still open to libraries who can continue to apply for activity that aligns with any of the four Universal Library Offers;
- Creativity and Culture
- Reading
- Information and Digital
- Health and Wellbeing
If you have a Project Grants application currently in progress:
If you’re planning to apply soon, you’ll need to submit your current application by Friday 19 November 2021. If you’re not ready to submit by then, you can wait and apply using the new application form and guidance from 22 November 2021.
Further information about the changes to ACE’s Project Grants programme is available on its website.
